Music | The boys in the bands The boys in the bands Justin Timberlake, Nick Carter, BBMak, O-Town, Dream Street BY SEAN RICHARDSON It�s been five years since the release of the first Backstreet Boys disc. Backstreet Boys (Jive) went on to sell 14 million copies, launching the teen-pop explosion that ruled the charts at the turn of the millennium. Britney Spears and �N Sync soon joined the party, and together the three Jive labelmates came to rule the pop charts before most of them were old enough to order a beer. Now Britney is about to turn 21, and the boy-band wars have entered a new phase: 21-year-old �N Sync star Justin Timberlake and 22-year-old Backstreet Boy Nick Carter have just released their first solo albums. With bubblegum dance pop faltering on the charts, the boys are trying to breathe new life into their careers by moving in a more mature direction.

Justin is the youngest, cutest, and most prominent member of boy-band nation: he�s the one who got to date Britney, and he�s also the one most likely to make a George Michael transition from teen idol to respectable pop star. He was the lead songwriter on the most recent (and best) �N Sync album, Celebrity (Jive), which featured inspired collaborations with A-list producers BT and the Neptunes. Working with the Neptunes production team, he was responsible for the �N Sync hit "Girlfriend," so it�s not surprising that the same players are on board for his new Justified (Jive). The Neptunes have spent most of the last year concentrating on their own outrageous rock band, N.E.R.D., who just won the second annual Shortlist Prize for their debut album, In Search Of . . . (Virgin). On the first single from Justified, "Like I Love You," they cue up a slammin� hard-funk drumbeat that borders on rock, and they turn the hardcore rappers Clipse loose in the outro.

Justin starts the song off whispering come-ons, then quickly slides into a smoky R&B croon; eventually he works his way up to an exaggerated falsetto. The hooks are even more obscure than those on the Neptunes� previous foray into reductivist teen pop, Britney�s "I�m a Slave 4 U." But the groove is unstoppable, and Justin�s vocals put his loverboy act across. Like George Michael before him, Timberlake has emerged from his teen-pop years with the voice of a blue-eyed soul man: he grew up in Memphis, and he says his favorite singers are Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder. Figure in his well-honed dance moves and it�s no wonder many pop fans accused him of aping Michael Jackson when he debuted "Like I Love You" at the MTV Video Music Awards a few months ago.

There�s more where that came from on Justified, especially on the liquid bounce of "Rock Your Body," the Neptunes� sharpest MJ homage since No Doubt�s "Hella Good." And though the Neptunes� rhythm tracks are some of the edgiest and most dangerous in contemporary pop, their Virginia homeboy Timbaland puts up some stiff competition on Justified with the four tracks he produced (the Neptunes are credited with seven). He turns up the heat on "(And She Said) Take Me Now," which starts off with a funky stab of clavinet and a seductive whisper from guest vocalist Janet Jackson. The stormy ballad "Cry Me a River" is Justin�s most soulful performance since the �N Sync hit "Gone"; it�s also the album�s most nuanced production. Given its 63-minute length, the disc does come up a little short on hooks. And Timberlake�s songwriting tends to be more professional than passionate. But he�s got the voice to go with his looks, and his tastes are quite a bit more adventurous than you might expect from a charter member of a middle-of-the-road boy band.

Like Timberlake, Nick Carter was the youngest and cutest member of his group � but the ratio of melody and bombast to groove and attitude is much more favorable on his new Now or Never (Jive) than it is on Justified. The album isn�t as sonically ambitious as Justified, and since its October 29 release, it hasn�t been as strong a contender on the Billboard charts � unlike Justified, it failed to crack the Top 10 the week it came out. Carter�s appeal is more generic; he never dated Britney; he likes rock better than hip-hop; and he still seems happy to play by the old teen-pop rules. That�s not such a bad thing on the first single from Now or Never, "Help Me," which amounts to a Backstreet song with one boy on the microphone instead of five. The unobtrusive soft-rock beat is familiar, as are the hopeful coming-of-age lyrics: "Help me make the right decisions/Know which way to turn, lessons to learn/And just what my purpose is here." Those aren�t Carter�s words, but he did have a hand in writing five of the album�s 12 tracks.

His most sympathetic writing partner is producer Gary Clark, who contributes the disc�s most mature song, "My Confession." Nick�s secret weapon is the same as it�s been since the early Backstreet days: Swedish songwriter/producer Max Martin, who wrote the catchiest material on the album. Martin�s pop-metal roots are no secret, but this is the first time he�s brought his rock skills to bear on a pop project. Def Leppard producer Per Aldeheim plays the loudest rock-guitar riffs teen pop has ever heard on "Blow Your Mind," and the rhythm section from the Swedish death-metal band Ebony Tears makes a cameo on the track. Martin switches over to an electro groove on the verses, and Nick has a blast with the song�s psycho-girlfriend lyrics. It�s purely a matter of taste, but I�ll take Nick�s "Beat It" over Justin�s "Rock with You" any day. THE BRITISH POP TRIO BBMak released their first album, Sooner or Later (Hollywood), two years ago, at the height of the boy-band boom. It yielded the hit "Back Here," which showcased the group�s intricate vocal harmonies but stayed away from the usual dance-pop instrumentation.

When they hit the road with both Britney and �N Sync, it became even more evident that they weren�t your average boy band: instead of prancing around the stage, they strummed acoustic guitars and threw in a few rock covers. Group members Stephen McNally, Christian Burns, and Mark Barry sang about puppy love and reveled in their youthful good looks, but they also showed skill as musicians. Closer investigation revealed that Sooner or Later was executive-produced by alternative-rock veteran Rob Cavallo, whose credits include Green Day�s landmark Dookie (Reprise) and the last couple of Goo Goo Dolls albums. Cavallo plays the same role on BBMak�s new Into Your Head (Hollywood), which pushes even farther in a rock direction. The group wrote the disc�s first single, "Out of My Heart," with fellow Northern England natives Tony and Chris Griffiths of the early-�90s Britpop band the Real People. As the song�s pedigree suggests, it�s a bittersweet roots-rocker with a huge chorus, a tasteful slide-guitar solo, and little evidence of any boy-band roots.

BBMak wrote more than half the songs on their first album, and they get a songwriting credit on every track here. The highlight is the inspirational "Staring into Space," which recalls vintage Teenage Fanclub with its sunny harmonies and sophisticated arrangements. The group offer up a convincing variation on the Goo Goo Dolls�style folk-rock lament with "Get You Through the Night," which breaks into a fancy chamber-pop vocal interlude halfway through. The UK rock community probably isn�t ready to accept them as a full-fledged Britpop group, but it�s getting difficult to call their music by any other name. And the Brits certainly didn�t have any trouble accepting Robbie Williams, the former Take Four teen-pop star, as a grown-up rocker reinvented as a mainstream Britpop sensation. Like Now or Never, BBMak�s Into Your Head isn�t doing very well on the charts. Which isn�t surprising: BBMak�s unassuming roots pop isn�t the most commercial style on the market, and the hype surrounding Justified hasn�t trickled down to the rest of boy-band nation. Still, a couple of other significant boy-band albums are coming out this month.

O2 (J Records) is the new disc from O-Town, who formed on the ABC-TV series Making the Band and went on to have their homonymous J Records debut certified platinum. Like many of their teenage peers, O-Town, who are scheduled to play the Tsongas Arena December 11, were more involved in the writing of their sophomore effort. The first single, "These Are the Days," is a melancholy ballad that sports a more organic, less processed sound than anything on O-Town. But the best boy-band single of the season comes from one of the most commercially irrelevant of the boy bands: LMNT, who were formed by original O-Town member Ikaika Kahoano and a few stray Making the Band semifinalists. LMNT�s first album, All Sides (Atlantic), came out at the beginning of the summer, and they�ve since parted ways with the label. But not before their harmony-rich lite-rocker "Juliet" (as in, "I just want you to know, I wanna be your Romeo") went into rotation on Radio Disney, where it�s been spinning ever since.

"Juliet" was written and produced by Fredrik Thomander and Anders Wikstrom, a talented duo of Max Martin protégés who showed up a couple of years late to the teen-pop party. Their Swedish corporate-rock roots run even deeper than Martin�s: Wikstrom was in the �80s pop-metal band Treat, who released three albums in the US. Thomander and Wikstrom have more than one infectious Radio Disney hit on their résumé: they also wrote "I Say Yeah" for the nascent underage boy band Dream Street. The first Dream Street album, Dream Street (Edel), recently went gold with little mainstream radio play, just as four of the group�s five members quit in a contract dispute. That didn�t stop their lone remaining teen pin-up, Chris Trousdale, from signing a new record deal under the name Dream Street, or from starring in an upcoming kids� movie about the group, The Biggest Fan. A new line-up has yet to be assembled, but the soundtrack, which includes the new single "With All My Heart," is due on Columbia later this month.

Which just goes to show that though teen pop may have lost some of its momentum in 2002, there are still plenty of teen-poppers with music, and money, to make, and a large core group of fans who are more than willing to go along for the ride. Issue Date: November 14 - 21, 2002 Justin Timberlake | LetsSingIt Lyrics We use cookies to customize content and advertising, to provide social media features, and to analyze traffic to our site. We also share information about your use of our site with our trusted social media, advertising and analytics partners. Read more . Justin Timberlake Play your favorite songs in the LetsSingIt Player! open player Peteycd123 • 1 day, 13 hours ago • 2 comments  Login Login here if you are already a member! log in Not a member? Register here for free! register Become fan 402 Rate 29 Like & Share Genre The 20/20 Experience: The Complete Experience [2013] Biography Justin Timberlake was a member of the popular 1990s boy band, 'N Sync, and was considered a teen idol.

The group formed in 1995 and started their carreer 1996 in Germany and hit it big in the States two years later in 1998, eventually releasing the fastest-selling album of all time, No Strings Attached in 2000. In 2002, after the completion of their Celebrity Tour and release of "Girlfriend", the third single from their 2001 album Celebrity, the group decided to take time off, at which point Timberlake began work on his first solo album. He hoped the album would shed him of his squeaky-clean boyband image in favor of a sexier, more mature look and sound. Around this same time, in March of 2002, Timberlake split from long-time girlfriend and fellow popstar Britney Spears. On August 29, 2002, after months of recording the album, Timberlake gave a performace at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards, where he premiered his first single, "Like I Love You." The song became a hit, reaching #11 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Following the successful release of the single, Timberlake released his debut solo album, Justified, on November 5, 2002. The album was also a success, despite selling considerably less than previous 'N Sync efforts. It debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 album chart, selling 439,000 copies in its first week of release. It eventually went on to sell over 3.5 million copies in the U.S. and over 7 million copies worldwide. The album spun off hits throughout late 2002 and 2003, including the top ten singles "Cry Me A River" and "Rock Your Body". Timberlake supported the album by co-headling the Justified/Stripped Tour with Christina Aguilera in the summer of 2003. In February 2004, during the halftime show of the Super Bowl XXXVIII, Timberlake performed with Janet Jackson before a television audience of over 140 million viewers.

At the end of the performance, Timberlake tore off a part of Jackson's black leather costume in a "costume reveal" meant to accompany a portion of the song lyrics, "gonna have you naked by the end of this song". Part of the costume became detached, and Jackson's breast was briefly exposed. Timberlake apologized for the incident saying that he was "sorry that anyone was offended by the wardrobe malfunction during the halftime performance of the Super Bowl... It was not intentional and is regrettable". The phrase "wardrobe malfunction" has since been used by the media to refer to the incident and has entered pop culture. As a result of the controversy, Timberlake and Jackson were banned from the 2004 Grammy Awards unless they agreed to apologize on screen at the event. Jackson declined. Timberlake attended and issued a scripted apology while accepting the first of two Grammy Awards he received that night (Best Pop Vocal Album for Justified and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "Cry Me A River"). He had also been nominated for Album of the Year for Justified, Record of the Year for "Cry Me A River", and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Where Is The Love?" with The Black Eyed Peas.

He released his second solo album FutureSex/LoveSounds, on September 12th. The album debuted in the number one position on the Billboard chart, selling 684,000 copies its first week. Producers on the album are Timbaland, will.i.am, Rick Rubin, Da Young 1, and Timberlake himself, features guest vocals by Three 6 Mafia, T.I. and will.i.am. The lead single, "SexyBack", began receiving radio and Internet play on July 7, 2006. It shot to number 1 on August 31, making it his most successful single to date. "My Love" is his second single release. It is also produced by Timbaland and features the rapper T.I. He performed the track as the opening performance at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards. In 2007, Timberlake won two Grammy Awards for songs on his FutureSex/LoveSounds album: "Best Rap/Sung Collaboration Rap" (My Love (with T.I.)) and "Best Dance Recording Dance" (SexyBack). In February 2008, Timberlake was awarded 2 Grammy Awards.

At the 50th Grammy Awards Ceremony, Timberlake won the Male Pop Performance Award for "What Goes Around,Comes Around", and the Dance Recording Award for "LoveStoned/I Think She Knows". Timberlake and his production team The Y's, along with Mike Elizondo, produced and co-wrote the song "Don't Let Me Down" for Leona Lewis's second studio album, Echo, released (in the US) on November 17, 2009. Timberlake also co-wrote and performed on "Carry Out", the third single from Timbaland's album Shock Value II, released on December 1, 2009. From 2010, Timberlake increased his acting work. He played Sean Parker, the founder of Napster, in the acclaimed film The Social Network (2010). He also appeared at the 2010 MTV VMAs on Sept. 12, 2010.

In 2011, he starred alongside Cameron Diaz in Bad Teacher and then alongside Mila Kunis in Friends with Benefits, and played Will Salas, the protogantist of In Time, a science fiction film by Andrew Niccol. He directed and made a cameo in the Free Sol music video "Hoodies On, Hats Low" which was released in August 2011. On October 7, RCA Music Group announced it was disbanding Jive Records along with Arista Records and J Records. With the shutdown, Timberlake (and all other artists previously signed to these three labels) will release his future material on the RCA Records brand. Pictures (10) show more (16-31 of 402) Similar Artists show more (16-31 of 60) More artists show this week's top 1000 most popular artists 1 hour, 57 min ago Timberlake Can't Nudge '8 Mile' From No. 1 | Billboard Timberlake Can't Nudge '8 Mile' From No.

1 11/13/2002 COMMENTS The Shady/Interscope soundtrack to "8 Mile" maintains its grip on the No. 1 position of The Billboard 200 for a second-straight week, withstanding a mighty charge from Justin Timberlake's "Justified" The Shady/Interscope soundtrack to "8 Mile" maintains its grip on the No. 1 position of The Billboard 200 for a second-straight week, withstanding a mighty charge from Justin Timberlake's "Justified" (Jive). Sales of the Eminem-heavy soundtrack slipped 28% to 508,000 units, according to Nielsen SoundScan, but that total was still enough to fend off "Justified," which sold 439,000 units and bows at No. 2. The two albums hold the same positions on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.

As impressive as the numbers for Timberlake's set are, the 'N Sync member's solo debut expectedly fell far short of the 1.9 million units sold by the group's most recent Jive release, 2001's "Celebrity." Yet in a battle of solo efforts from boy band members, Timberlake is the clear winner. As "Justified" debuts at No. 2, Backstreet Boy Nick Carter's solo Jive debut "Now or Never" plummets from No. 17 to No. 63 in its second week on The Billboard 200. Timberlake's first single, "Like I Love You," made it into the top-15 of Billboard's Hot 100 last week; Carter's "Help Me," meanwhile, managed only a No. 36 peak last month on Billboard's Top 40 Mainstream chart. "Justified" is one of four top-10 debuts on The Billboard 200, with a comfortable lead over the No. 3 entry of U2's "The Best of 1990-2000/The B-Sides" (Interscope).

That two-disc set sold 185,000 units; a single-disc version that does not include a compilation of B-sides, was released yesterday (Nov. 12). The band's last two-disc greatest hits set, a collection of songs from 1980-1990, arrived at No. 2 in November 1998 on sales of 237,000 units. Jaheim's "Still Ghetto" (Warner Bros.) lands at No. 8 on The Billboard 200 on sales of 111,000 units, a stronger entry than last year's "Ghetto Love." The latter sold 80,000 units in its first week to arrive at No. 9. On the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, Jaheim's set debuts at No. 3. The latest live effort from the Dave Matthews Band, "Live at Folsom Field" (RCA) soars to No. 9 on a sales of 110,000 units.

The number isn't quite as strong as the 131,000 copies posted by "Live in Chicago 12.19.98," which entered at No. 6 at this time last year. Christina Aguilera's "Stripped" (RCA) suffered a 49% sales hit to 168,000 units and falls two two slots to No. 4, while Santana's "Shaman" dips one to No. 5 after a 20% slide to 140,000 units. Faith Hill's "Cry" (Warner Bros.), which is No. 1 on Billboard's Top Country Albums roundup for a fourth-straight week, holds at No. 6 on The Billboard 200. With Eminem's movie riding high, his album "The Eminem Show" (Shady/Interscope) saw a 14% gain to 115,000 units, earning it a one-rung boost to No. 7. Interscope's self-titled Nirvana collection, saw a 53% sales slide to 109,000 units, and slides from No.

3 to No. 10. Another three new albums land inside the top-20 of The Billboard 200 , led by Andrea Bocelli's collaboration with the London Symphony Orchestra, "Sentimento" (Phillips), at No. 12. His last album, "Cieli di Toscana," performed similarly, soaring to No. 11 last November. On the other end of the musical scale, Detroit's Insane Clown Posse arrives at No. 15 with "The Wraith: Shangri-La" (Riviera), and U.K. singer/songwriter David Gray notches his highest album chart-position to date with the No. 17 bow of "A New Day at Midnight" (ATO). Elsewhere, "Irv Gotti Presents the Remixes" (Universal) arrives at No. 24, the Wallflowers' "Red Letter Days" (Interscope) enters at No. 32, Alison Krauss + Union Station dock at No. 36 with their latest live collection from Rounder, and Deborah Cox's "The Morning After" (J Records) settles in at No. 38. Tony Bennett's collaboration with k.d.

lang, "A Wonderful World" (Columbia), glides to No. 41 to give Bennett" his best showing on The Billboard 200 since 1966 when "The Move Song Album" hit No. 18. "A Wonderful World," a collection of interpretations of Louis Armstrong songs, was heavily promoted on television last week, with a feature on "20/20" and appearances by the two on "Live With Regis and Kelly" and "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno." Further down the chart, Alan Jackson's "Let It Be Christmas" (Arista) arrives at No. 52, and thanks to the increased focus on the artist after his five wins at last week's CMA Awards, his album "Drive" receives a major boost. That former No. 1 set cruises 94-23 on a whopping 293% burst to 50,000 units. All of Billboard's latest charts will be posted tomorrow (Nov. 14) on Billboard.com. Happy Birthday, Justin Timberlake! - Fred Astaire Dance Studios Corporate Office Fred Astaire Dance Studios Corporate Office Happy Birthday, Justin Timberlake! Justin Timberlake is a performer for the ages.

His legendary voice, killer dance moves and effortless sense of humor have made him a triple threat in Hollywood, and he has been honored with four Emmys, three VMAs and nine Grammys for his decades of work in music and on television. He has been recognized in Time magazine as one of the world’s most influential people from 2007 to 2013, and he is one of the most commercially successful singers of the past two decades. From his start as the youngest member of ‘NSYNC to his latest album, the “20/20 Experience,” he has been making waves in the entertainment world. We would like to take some time to celebrate him by looking back at some of his best dance performances. ‘NSYNC, “It’s Gonna Be Me” video In one of ‘NSYNC’s first music videos, the youngest member took the lead. The band formed in 1995, and gained popularity in the U.S. in 1998 with their self-titled debut album. This song was featured on their second album, which came out in 2000.

After selling 2.4 million copies in the first week after it was released, this album solidified NSYNC’s status as boy band idols. This video was their highest chart-topping single from this album, and it actually became so popular that ‘NSYNC started selling dolls of themselves modeled after the ones in the video. “Lovestoned” 2007 Video Music Awards “My Love” was released on Timberlake’s second solo studio album, “FutureSex/LoveSounds.” The song entered the top 10 of most music ranking charts, especially the Billboard Hot 100 and several of its component charts. The song won him awards for best male artist of the year and best choreography in a video at the 2007 MTV VMAs. When Justin performed the song live during the VMAs, he added in a visually stunning dance solo about 45 seconds long to the beginning. “Single Ladies” “SNL” skit with Beyonce Timberlake’s terrific sense of humor and his willingness to push boundaries turned this “SNL” skit into comedic gold.

He joined Paul Rudd, Andy Samberg and Bobby Moynihan in a skit that had them antagonizing Beyonce as her inept backup dancers. While this wasn’t the kind of performance we usually expect from JT, it was a hilarious video, and it became one of the more popular “SNL” skits from the 2013 season. “Suit and Tie” performance on “SNL” with Jay Z For this song, Timberlake partnered with another musical powerhouse, Jay Z, for one of the most popular songs of 2013. This album reinforced Justin’s image as a classic entertainer. His performance on SNL put him on stage with some premier musicians, and he used the whole stage to show that he’s still got it. “Single Ladies” at the U.S. Open with Jimmy Fallon JT reprised his dance to Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” with Jimmy Fallon while watching the U.S. Open in 2015. The tabloids and celebrity news sites ate this up, because it was yet another situation he used to do something unexpected and funny.

Justin and Jimmy Fallon appear to be best friends, and this video shows them at their best, clowning around and having a good time together. Justin has taken time away from the public eye recently to work on other projects, but we look forward to his comeback to live performance, if for no other reason than seeing him dance! Happy birthday, Justin, hope it’s a fun one! THE FRIDAY FORTY: Top 40 Boy Bands of the Last 25 Years | POP! Goes The Charts POP! Goes The Charts THE FRIDAY FORTY: Top 40 Boy Bands of the Last 25 Years Happy Friday! Welcome to a special edition of an occasional segment I’m putting together called The Friday Forty. Consider it a definitive list on all sorts of music-related topics (and much better than those VH1 lists!) With newer boy bands all over the charts and older boy bands reuniting one after the other, I give you the list of the top 40 boy bands of the past 25 years as tabulated by myself. You may call them man bands or R&B groups, but in the end, these youngsters all comprised boy bands that we listened to on the radio or saw in concert.

Rankings were based off of CHR airplay peaks from Radio & Records and Mediabase 24/7, and additional points were added in for #1 songs and main-credited solo or duo hits. Entries were not counted prior to January 1988, so some groups may not have their entire chart life counted. Also, worldwide success is not factored into this list; it’s solely U.S.-based data. With all that said, let’s get the chart started. Just missing the top 40 are 3T, Boyzone, Brother Beyond, Dru Hill and Immature. 40. THE BOYS (One entry) (Biggest hit: “Dial My Heart” , #16 in 1989) 39. H-TOWN (One entry) (Biggest hit: “Knockin’ Da Boots” , #15 in 1993) 38. PERFECT GENTLEMEN (One entry) (Biggest hit: “Swear It Again” , #21 in 2000) 36.

THE CLICK FIVE (Two entries) (Biggest hit: “Just The Girl” , #17 in 2005) 35. 5IVE (Three entries) (Biggest hit: “When The Lights Go Out” , #15 in 1998) 34. 112 (Three entries) (Biggest hit: “Peaches And Cream” , #15 in 2001) 33. TAKE THAT (One entry, plus two solo by Robbie Williams and one by Gary Barlow) (Biggest hit: “Back For Good” , #9 in 1995) 32. SOUL FOR REAL (Two entries) (Biggest hit: “Candy Rain” , #21 in 1995) 31. JAGGED EDGE (Three entries) (Biggest hit: “Where The Party At?” [featuring Nelly], #11 in 2001) 30. ANOTHER BAD CREATION (Two entries) (Biggest hit: “Iesha” , #21 in 1991) 29.

MINT CONDITION (Two entries) (Biggest hit: “Breakin’ My Heart (Pretty Brown Eyes)” , #10 in 1992) 28. BIG TIME RUSH (Three entries) (Biggest hit: “Music Sounds Better With You” [featuring Mann], #26 in 2012) 27. JOE PUBLIC (Two entries) (Biggest hit: “Live And Learn” , #2 in 1992) 26. NEXT (Three entries) (Biggest hit: “Too Close” , #6 in 1998) 25. SOULDECISION (Two entries) (Biggest hit: “Faded” , #6 in 2000) 24. SILK (Two entries) (Biggest hit: “Freak Me” , #3 in 1993) 23. B2K (Four entries, plus two solo by Omarion) (Biggest hit: “Bump, Bump, Bump” [featuring P. Diddy], #3 in 2003) 22.

THE WANTED (Three entries) (Biggest hit: “Glad You Came” , #1 in 2012) 21. NO MERCY (Three entries) (Biggest hit: “Where Do You Go?” , #3 in 1996) 20. BLACKSTREET Out of New York City, this quintet scored a #12 hit in early 1997 with “No Diggity” , which featured Dr. Dre. They remained hot on the R&B scene and scored two other top-40 hits on the pop survey, the last of them in 1999. They disbanded shortly afterwards, then came back for an album in 2003 before calling it quits again. Several members went onto solo success and hit records as a member of other groups. 19. NEW EDITION After parting ways with Bobby Brown, the group managed a #8 peak with “If It Isn’t Love” in 1988 and three charting singles from a reunion in 1996. Solo efforts by Johnny Gill and Ralph Tresvant were included in the total, though Brown’s solo efforts were not since he had left.

If the countdown encompassed all of their releases, the group would’ve ranked much higher. 18. BELL BIV DEVOE Speaking of New Edition, this side project by Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, and Ronnie DeVoe was an instant success in 1990, with back-to-back top tens “Poison” and “Do Me!” Two other minor singles followed before the three took a break, eventually reuniting with their old band in 1996. They still perform together as a trio. 17. LFO From Boston, the Lyte Funky Ones scored a big summer single with 1999’s appropriately titled “Summer Girls” . Of their six singles to make the airplay chart, “Every Other Time” was their biggest, reaching #10 in 2001. Though they attempted a comeback in 2009, it fizzled quickly. Lead singer Rich Cronin passed away in 2010. 16. BBMAK These three Brits had a breakthrough in 2000 when they reached #8 with their first and biggest single, “Back Here” .

Three other top-40 hits followed, the last one coming in 2002. All three members pursued music in some form after the band’s breakup, most notably Christian Burns, who took a solo dance route and Stephen McNally, who fronts a band called 10 Reasons To Live. 15. JONAS BROTHERS With Disney aiding their career, these three brothers from New Jersey took the charts by storm in 2007 and accumulated four top-40 hits within a year. “Burnin’ Up” remains their biggest song, hitting #12 during the summer of 2008. Their last entry to date in 2009 brought their total to five, but the band is planning to release a new album this year. One minor solo single for brother Joe Jonas, “See No More” , is added into their total. 14. SHAI The four men of this group all went to college together in Washington, D.C.

and after passing on a demo tape to a local disc jockey who got it on air, their song blew up and became one of the only all a cappella singles to make the top 40: “If I Ever Fall In Love” , from 1992, reaching #3. Another single, “Baby I’m Yours” , hit the same position in 1993. After four pop hits, they charted several other songs on the R&B chart until 1996. 13. O-TOWN Hey, hey, they’re not The Monkees, but this quintet formed on ABC’s Making The Band in 2000. Their first of five singles, “Liquid Dreams” , became a minor entry in early 2001, but it was their follow-up, a big ballad called “All Or Nothing” , that launched them into the #1 spot at CHR radio. They last hit the top 50 in 2003. One solo release by Ashley Parker Angel, “Let U Go” from 2006, is included in their total. 12.

ALL-4-ONE Hailing from California, this quintet has the distinction of releasing three covers in a row, which all went top three: in chronological order, the #2 “So Much In Love” (The Tymes) from 1994, followed by the #1 “I Swear” later that year and the #3 “I Can Love You Like That” in 1995 (both by John Michael Montgomery.) After an original song tanked in 1996, they were done on pop radio, and were dropped a few years later. They’ve been between labels since, with some small AC and R&B singles every few years. 11. JODECI When two groups of brothers got together in North Carolina, their soulful sound gave them a string of pop and R&B hits. Taken under the wing of then-executive P. Diddy, the quartet put three singles from their debut album, Forever My Lady, into the top 40. It wasn’t until 1993 that they attained their only top ten hit, a live version of “Lately” from MTV Unplugged. It peaked at #6.

After one more top-20 single in 1994, the group’s crossover success was done, but brothers K-Ci & JoJo made their mark several years later with songs like 1998’s “All My Life” (#2). Four of their singles were mixed into the total. …and now, for the top ten boy bands on the chart. “Feels good” to rank up here. 10. TONY! TONI! TONÉ! Oakland’s finest had been working on records for several years before they finally made it onto the pop survey in 1990 with the #15 “Feels Good” , from their album, The Revival. The trio had their greatest success in 1993 when they mixed new jack swing and soul on their #2 hit, “If I Had No Loot” , which was a followed by a slower song, “Anniversary” , which topped out at #5. After one more top-40 hit in 1994 and a minor entry in 1996, Raphael Saadiq left the group, but they still continue on today with a replacement singer.

He’s seen some minor R&B hits, but a whole lot of critical success. He’s even currently appearing in a car commercial. The group hasn’t recorded any new material since the 90’s. Still playing, but not hard to get. 09. HI-FIVE Five friends from Texas came together in 1989, got signed to Jive Records, and I’m sure there were high-fives all around. The group only managed to place four songs onto the airplay chart, the fewest of any act in the top tier of this list, but the first three all went top ten: 1991’s “I Like The Way (The Kissing Game)” (#2) and “I Can’t Wait Another Minute” (#9), plus 1992’s “She’s Playing Hard To Get” (#4). After an additional top-20 single the next year, the quintet scored several other moderate R&B hits before disbanding shortly afterwards. Lead singer Tony Thompson died in 2007. They band returned in 2012 with new members and a self-released single, but it failed to chart. Sealed with a “Kiss”. 08.

ONE DIRECTION Surprised to see them so high? The five boys who came together on the U.K. version of The X Factor in 2010 have a made a significant mark on the charts in just under a year in the States. Both their debut album Up All Night and second release Take Me Home entered at #1 on the Billboard 200 album chart last year. Only one of their radio releases has gone top ten, however: “What Makes You Beautiful” , which peaked at #4 last June. Yet, each of their four followup releases have gone top twenty, and this has all happened within ten or eleven months. They’re huge. They just released a Comic Relief cover of Blondie‘s “One Way Or Another” this week. Unsurprisingly, it’s a smash. They’ll be around for a while. Bopped ’til the dropped (off the charts.) 07. HANSON Take three brothers from Texas, given them six letters to play around with, and what do you get? A blockbuster hit. “Mmmbop” .

It spent nine weeks at #1 from May to July 1997, and though radio wanted to get rid of it as quickly as they DJs put it on the air, you can’t help but recognize it as one of the key tracks that led to the growth of bubblegum pop in the late 90’s. The group had four top-40 hits following it, but not one matched the peaks that their biggest single rose to. ( “Where’s The Love?” did hit the top ten, however.) After seven airplay entries ending in 2004, the boys are still together today recording on their own independent label. Give them just one spot (un lugar.) 06. 98 DEGREES Things were just heating up with this four-man group from Ohio when their first single, “Invisible Man” , went to #10 in 1997. It wasn’t until 1999 that the group did considerably well on the teen circuit with songs like the #4 “The Hardest Thing” and the #5 “I Do (Cherish You)” .

They reached their commercial peak by 2000 with Revelation and their last top ten, “Give Me Just One Night (Una Noche)” (#7) before their airplay and sales fell off quickly the next year. After the band broke up, Nick Lachey famously married Jessica Simpson, did a reality show, divorced, and wrote a whole album of breakup songs called What’s Left Of Me in 2006. The title track went to #5 and a followup to #25, both included in their total. The quartet is back together and releasing 2.0 in May on eOne Records. Caught in a Badd romance. 05. COLOR ME BADD Discovered by Robert Bell of Kool & The Gang, the quartet based out of Oklahoma made a name for themselves beginning in 1991 with the #2 single “I Wanna Sex You Up” , featured in the film New Jack City. The group has eight top ten singles to their credit, including one #1, “I Adore Mi Amor” , and another #2, “All 4 Love” (1992).

After a failed album in 1998 that gave them their last of ten airplay charters, the group disbanded, but most went onto solo projects. The most successful of them, Sam Watters, produced and wrote/co-wrote singles for Anastacia, Jessica Simpson and Natasha Bedingfield. The three other members recently reunited and are looking to put out new music this year. Can’t block these boys out. 04. NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK After his success with New Edition, producer Maurice Starr decided to try his luck with a caucasian version of the band, originally signed as Nynuk before changing their name. Sales were slow to start, but after 1988’s “Please Don’t Go Girl” became a national top ten hit, the group hit superstardom. In 1989, they placed six songs into the top 40, including #1’s “I’ll Be Loving You (Forever)” and “Hangin’ Tough” . Step By Step and its title track soon followed in 1990, but after a backlash and accusations of lip syncing, the five members parted in 1994 after ten hits.

After a reunion in 2008 which brought in two other top-40 entries, the New Kids plan on releasing an album in April called 10 before going on tour. Two solo singles apiece by Joey McIntyre and Jordan Knight also boosted their ranking. It’s gonna be them. 03. *NSYNC Formed by Lou Pearlman in the mid-1990’s, they invaded Europe before capturing the hearts of millions of girls in the United States in 1998 with songs like “I Want You Back” and “Tearin’ Up My Heart” , both #5 hits. By 2000, they had hit their full potential with a huge #1 single for ten weeks, “Bye Bye Bye” , followed by “It’s Gonna Be Me” , which spent six weeks at the top. It propelled parent album No Strings Attached to 2.4 million copies in sales in its first week alone, a record which will likely never be beaten. Celebrity followed in 2001 with three additional top ten hits, bringing their total of top-40 hits to 11 before they broke apart in 2002.

JC Chasez and Justin Timberlake pursued solo careers; the former has two top-40 singles to his credit, and the latter has eleven main credits (which are all included in the group’s total.) Timberlake’s also acted in several movies, including The Social Network. Not quite the “end of the road.” 02. BOYZ II MEN After looking up to New Edition all their lives, this quartet from Philadelphia got their big break in 1989 when the members of Bell Biv Devoe heard them at a local tour stop and were impressed. Michael Bivans eventually agreed to manage the group, leading to their 1991 debut album, Cooleyhighharmony, and the #5 smash “Motownphilly” . They were an overnight success, scoring three other top five singles by the end of 1992. They were perhaps best known for their songs that struck around for a while at the peak of the pop chart, even when the overall speed of the survey had a quick turnover.

“End Of The Road” was #1 for six weeks in 1992, the same amount of time “On Bended Knee” stayed at the top in 1994 and into 1995. However, it was their duet with Mariah Carey, “One Sweet Day” , that managed the longest run at the top spot: eight weeks, from December 1995 to February 1996. Their last minor charting single came in 2000 and after a run of thirteen top-40 hits, they were finally done. They group downsized to a trio several years ago and made a few albums of cover songs. Their last original studio album, Twenty, came out in 2011. All you could “Want” in a boy band. 01. BACKSTREET BOYS Well, we’ve come to the cream of the pop, the top-ranking boy band of the latest twenty-five years based on airplay data.

Another of Lou Pearlman’s acts, the quintet based out of Florida officially began their journey in 1993 and released their first single in the U.S., “We’ve Got It Goin’ On” , in the fall of 1995. It just dented the CHR top 40. After finding incredible success in Europe, the Boys gave it a second go in the States and produced a #2 hit in 1997’s “Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)” , the first of ten consecutive top ten hits from the group. In that impressive chain, two number one singles: 1999’s “I Want It That Way” and 2000’s “Show Me The Meaning Of Being Lonely” . Parent album Millenium sold 1.1 million copies its first week, a record at the time, and 9.5 million in its first year alone. Black & Blue opened with 1.6 million first week in the fall of 2000, but the singles had less of an impact on the charts and the album eventually sold less than half of what Millenium did.

After going on a hiatus for several years, the band has put out several studio albums since 2005, but they clearly haven’t matched up in airplay or sales compared to their efforts at their peak. Nevertheless, they’ve been going strong as a group for twenty years now and have a total of 18 top-40 hits, and that’s something to be respected. They recently went the independent route for a Christmas single and plan to release new music in 2013. However, their legacy will always be their late 90’s hits, the videos, the TRL appearances, the pandemonium, etc. They truly deserve the #1 spot on the this list. That’s going to do it for this Friday Forty. Hope you enjoyed this look back in boy band history, and let me know if I missed any along the way! Or, suggest a topic for the next Friday Forty! Leave a comment below or contact me on Twitter: @AdamFSoybel.

Question: Justin Timberlake first entered the pop charts in 195 as a member of which boy band?
Answer: 'NSYNC'